Message From Executive Director Debbie Rippstein

Withdrawing from those around us is one of the surest signs we are hurting. Friends and family sometimes say the wrong thing; they may let us down. Sometimes we simply stumble and it is difficult to regain our footing. It is tempting to isolate when facing tough times. We may be tempted to tell ourselves that when we get it all together, we’ll reconnect with people again. God, however, didn’t create us to live in a vacuum. We need each other for encouragement, support and connection.

Gracewood provides home, hope and healing for hurting families across the Greater Houston area with two distinct programs. Our Family Care Program offers single mothers and their children a place to call home during a time of crisis. Families are offered a home on one of our two beautiful campuses as an opportunity to regroup, recharge and refocus on life. Available housing for up to 23 families allows mothers and children to stay together while a mother improves her ability to provide for her family either through working and saving money for future housing costs or returning to school to complete an educational goal or receive specialized training.

Gracewood’s Hope For Families Program provides resources to strengthen families through no cost, professional counseling as well as parent education and family support. Stress, marital conflict and children’s misbehavior are all reasons an individual or family might connect with Gracewood for support.

Our staff utilizes concepts from TBRI™, Trust-Based Relational Intervention, to encourage parents when facing challenges with their own children as well as foster and adopted children. Counseling and classes are offered both on our campus and at several churches throughout the Houston community.

New opportunities abound in the upcoming year. Our recent purchase of a 2.5 acre tract adjoining our Spring Branch campus offers the prospect of further expanding our ministry of home, hope and healing. With increased reliance on God’s provision we look forward to the journey ahead.

I invite you to check our website for dates of our upcoming tours. Twice a month, visitors have an opportunity to learn about the Gracewood mission, enjoy lunch and hear the story of families who have been touched by this ministry. We welcome your visit.